Riverview FD vehicle lost in fire

In an ironic twist, the Riverview Volunteer Fire Department lost one of its trucks to a vehicle fire two weeks ago.

"It blew the side out of the carburetor," Chief Sam Leslie said.

The firefighter who was driving the truck at the time tried to douse the flames with an onboard fire extinguisher, but the 1987 Ford F250 was a total loss, Leslie said. The carburetor exploded near the intersection of Market Street and Shady Grove Crossing, according to a York County Sheriff's Office report from June 27. The damage was estimated at $10,000.

"The one thing I did right was to have enough insurance on the truck to cover it," Leslie said.

Never miss a local story.

Sign up today for unlimited digital access to our website, apps, the digital newspaper and more.

The truck was not one of the department's critical pieces of equipment. The former grass fire unit was being used to tow the department's hazardous material trailer, Leslie said. It will cost approximately $30,000 to replace, but Leslie said insurance will cover the total cost.

"It's not like losing an engine, it is an inconvenience not to have it," he said. "As far as fire fighting, it didn't hurt us a bit."

Leslie said not having the truck did not hamper the department during July 4 holiday weekend calls.